Mixed phase clouds are
not well represented in
GCMs.
Ice formation influences
radiative effect,
precipitation formation,
and cloud lifetime.
Objective
Pressure level where fraction
●Liquid / (Ice + Liquid) = 50%
(SLF50)
Defining a mixed-phase cloud (MPC)
SLF: Supercooled liquid water fraction
Temperature constant in all
latitudes
Highest snowfall related to
storm track area
Mixed phase-clouds (ERA5)
Latitude
30 year, season: DJF
Temperature Snowfall
Ice water path/Liquid water path (ERA5 - CMIP6)
(g m-2)
Ice water path overestimate Liquid water path underestimate
Ice Liquid
30 year, season: DJF
Snowfall underestimate of ~20%
Snowfall
30 year, season: DJF
Snowfall (ERA5 - CMIP6)
(mm day-1)
●Snowfall from MP clouds is highest in storm track areas
●GCM
○cloud phase Ice overestimated
Liquid underestimated
○Snowfall Underestimated especially in storm track areas
franziska.hellmuth@geo.uio.no, EGU22-4566
Key points
Next steps
●Find MP clouds in CMIP6
●Include satellite data (CloudSat)
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